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-, 2 Sheets-Sheet l. C. M. LINLEY 8u J, BIGGS. SPEED AND POWER GEARINGPOB. VELOGIPBDBS.

No. 351,873. Patented Nov. 2, 1886.

(No Model.)

N. PETERS. Yhulbihognpher. Wnihngion. D.C.

(1r-Modem 2 sheets-sheet 2.

G. M. LINLEY 8v J. BIGGS. Y

SPEED AND POWER GEAEING FOE'VELOGIPEDES.

Patented Nov. Z, 1886.

N. PETERS Plwtcruxhagrnphr. washington. DA C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY AND JOHN BIGGS, OF SOUTHWARK, COUNTY OF SURREY,"ASSIGNOBS OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE GRAINGER TANDY, OF CEDABS ROAD, OLAPHAM,ENGLAND.-

SPEEDAND'POWER yGEARING FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,873I dated November2, 1,886.

Applicationl filed August 18,1886. Serial No. 211,220. (No model.)Patented in England February 1, 1884, No. 2,547, and iu France November10, 1885, No. 165,280. V

To all whom it may concern: p I

Be it known that we, CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY, engineer, and J onN Brees,engineer, both of Melior street, Southwark, in the county of Surrey,England, have invented Improvements in Speed and Power Gearing, of whichthe following is a specification.

' This invention relates more particularly to a speed and power'gearingfor velocipedes, but it is equally applicable to machinery generally;and it consists,'essentially, in a novel construction of expanding chainwheel, the action of which may be produced direct from the shaft onwhich the wheel is mounted.

In carrying out ourinventiom We employ two disks, in the inner face ofeach of which` we form a volute groove, in which work the joint-pins ofa short length of ordinary driving-chain, the two disks being mounted atsuitable distances apart on a shaft with the chain between them; and inorder that our invention may be properly understood, we will proceed todescribe it in connection with a tricycle, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevationof aportion'of a tricycle (the near wheel being removed) with our invention adaptedthereto. Fig. 2 shows the inner face of oneof the disks with the chainin the contracted position. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the chainfwheel.Fig. 4t is a detached view of the chain-wheel with means for holding thechain, and Fig. 5 is an edge View of the same. Y

A is the framing of the vehicle, whichvmay be of any convenientconstruction and adapted either for a front or rear steerer. v

B is the main axle, which carries the framing in any suitable manner.

O is the crank-axle or treadleshaft, which is mounted in suitablebearings secured in any convenient ina-nner to the framing A; and D isthe driving-pulley on the main axle B.

The improved speed and power gear consists of two disks, E E', (seeFigs. 3 and 5,) each of which is formed with a volute groove, a, on itsinner face, as shown at Fig. 2. The two disks E E are keyed on thecrankaxle C, so'

that the two grooves face each other and exactlyv correspond.

Between the disks is placed a short length of chain, b, which isconstructed in a manner similar to the ordinary driving-chain forvelocipedes, except that the joint-pins are prolonged on either side ofthe chain, so as to enter and work in the grooves a of the disks. Toavoid unnecessary friction, we may mount on the projecting ends ol'thejoint-pins of the chain b small anti-friction rollers. lf,`now, theouter end of the chain be held fast and the disks be rotated, the chain,under the induence of the grooves, will be caused to expand until itassumes the position shown at Fig. 5

'and in dotted lines at Fig. 4, and the diameter of the wheel will beVthereby increased. By rotating the disk in the reverse direction, thechain being still held rmly at its front end, the chain will be coiledup, as seen at Fig. 2. The means which we prefer to use to hold thefront end of the chain will now be described. Y g

Projecting radially from and mounted loosely on the treadle orcrank-shaft O, outside oue of the disks, is an arm, c, to the outer endof which is pivoted, at or near the bend, one arm, d, of a U-shapedpiece, which fits over one 'of the disks. The other or inner arm, d,'ofthis U-piece is attached in any covenient manner to the forward or outerend of the chain b. (See Figs. 2 and 4:.) The arm d, which is thinneddown to act as a iiat spring, is provided, first, on its under or innerside with a locking-pin or stop, e, which is arranged to enter a seriesot' holes, f, made in the disk E, and serves to lock the chain and diskstogether, and, second, on the outer or upper side with a beveledbridge-piece, g. An arm, h, which is mounted loosely on the treadle orcrank-axle, passes through this bridge-piece g, and is so arranged as tocome into contact with a movable stop, i, when the latter is thrown intoposition. This stop i is placed at one end of a lever, j, which has itsfulcrum on the frame, the other end being connected by a link, la, toazvertical rod, Z, provided with a handle, m, which is secured in anyconvenient mannerwithin reach of the ridcrs hand, so that it may beraised or lowered, as desired, to throw the stop t in or out of action;but any other suitable means may be employed to actuate the stop t. Whenthe stopt' is out of action, the chain will be locked to the disks bymeans of the spring pin or stop e entering one of the holesfin the diskE, and the locking mechanism will rotate with the disks; but on throwingthe stop into action, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the rotationof the arm hwith the disks will be arrested, andthe arm striking againstthe beveled portion of the bridge-piece g, which,with its arm d,continues to rotate with the disks, (being locked thereto by the pine,)will draw the pin c out of thehole in the disks and allow the pair ofdisks to rotate with the shaft'irrespective of the chain and its holdingmechanism, so that the chain, under the influence of the volute grooves,and being rmly held by the arm d ofthe U-piece,\vill be expanded oreontracted,according to the direction in which the shaft C is rotating.

The holes in the disk E will be arranged to correspond to thegrooves,and they are formed 'at regulated intervals, which will admit ofthe diameter of the expansible wheel being enlarged or contracted to anysize within certain limits.

The means above described for holding the chain irrespective ofthe disksand for locking the chain to the disks, and also for actuating the stop71, are, however, capable of modification without departing from theessential features of our invention-viz., making an expansible wheel orpulley of two volute-grooved disks with a chain having prolongedjoint-pins working between them in the grooves.

Then adapting the expansible wheel to veloeipedes, we form thedriving-chain G of the vehicle of links shaped somewhat like a flattenedU, which are pivoted together at their ends in any convenient manner, sothat the connected ends of two links shall enter between the joint-pinsof the chain b of the chain wheel or pulley E E. as clearly indicated inFig. i. The chain G must be of sufficient length to pass round the chain-wheel E E', when of the largest diameter, the slack -caused by thereduction in the diameter of the wheel being taken up by any convenientmeans-such, for instance, as atension-spring or a weighted lever pivotedto the frame, and carrying a pulley or roller round which the chainpasses, or as shown at X Y Z, Fig. 1, X being a spring, Y a lever, and Za pulley.

Either or both of the chain-wheels of the velocipede may be madeexpansible; but, in genera-l, we prefer that the chain-wheel on thetreadle-shaft only shall be expansible, as it is more convenient tooperate. The chainwheel on the driving-axle will be of a constructionsuitable to receive a driving-chain of the character above described.

In adapting the pulley to driving machinery generally, astcel band maybe'secnred to the chain; or the chain may be replaced by a band, pinsbeing secured transversely to the under side of the band in anyconvenient Inanner, and at suitable distances apart, so that they maywork in the grooves of the disks.

Having now described our invention, we declare that what we claim is l.An expansible wheel or pulley, consisting, essentially, of a pair ofvolute-grooved disks, E E, and a short length of chain or band, b, thejoint-pins of the chain or the carrying-pins of the band being prolongedto work in the grooves, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In an expansible wheel or pulley, the

Soy

vcombination of a pair of volute-grooved disks,

as E E, and a short length of chain having prolonged joint-pins or apinned band, as b, with means for holding the forward end of the chainor band against the rotation of the disks, whereby the chain or band iscaused to expand or coil up, according to the direction in which thedisks are rotated, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of a pair ol' volutegrooved disks, as E E', mountedon an axle or shaft, and a short length of chain having prolongedjoint-pins or a pinned band, as b, with an arm, e, mounted loosely onthe same shaft, and an arm, d', pivoted to the arm 0, and to the forwardend of the chain or band, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. The combination ot' a pair of grooved f disks mounted on an axle orshaft, a short length of chain `having prolonged joint-pins or a pinnedband, an arm, c, mounted loosely on said shaft, an arm, d, pivoted tothe arm c, and also to the front or outer end of the chain or band,withan arm, d, formed in one with the arm d', and carrying on its underside a pin, c, arranged to enter a series of holes in the disk E,whereby the disks and chain or band are locked together, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination, with the arm d, having on its under side a pin, e,of a beveled bridge-piece, g, an arm, h, mounted loosely on an axle orshaft, C, and a stop, as i, suitably carried, so as to be thrown intoand out of gear, whereby the pin e is drawn out of the holes finthe-disk E, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of a pair of grooved disks, as E E, and a shortlength of chain having prolonged joint-pins, as I), with adriv ingchain,as G, formed of flattened U-shaped links, the ends of which are pivotedtogether, and arranged to enter the links of the chain b, substantiallyas described.

CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY. JOHN BIGGS. Vitnesses:

H. K. WHITE, A. S. BIsHoP, Both of 6 Breams Buildings, London, E. C.

